Integrating artificial intelligence into Russia’s air defense system will make it more effective against Ukrainian UAVs, military expert and air defense forces historian Yury Knutov said. According to him, Russia is already working in this direction because the issue directly concerns national security.

Knutov noted that certain AI elements have long been used in new-generation surface-to-air missile systems. He recalled that Russian air defense is designed to counter aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters and, to some extent, ballistic targets.

The expert described Russia’s air defense as highly effective and, in his view, the best in the world. At the same time, he stressed that the emergence of UAVs has created a separate challenge. He said Russia needs to develop counter-drone air defense, including anti-aircraft artillery with programmable ammunition that detonates near a drone and destroys it with fragments.

Knutov singled out anti-UAV measures as a distinct area of work. Interceptor drones, he said, already play an important role in this system and have shown effectiveness against Ukrainian UAVs, including in the defense of the Crimean Peninsula.

The analyst also emphasized the importance of mobile fire teams. In his view, these units should be equipped with electronic warfare systems, anti-aircraft machine guns, and day- and night-vision devices.

Knutov added that Russia has various tools to counter aerial threats, including electronic warfare systems and promising weapons such as electromagnetic and laser guns. He said this area must be developed at an accelerated pace and brought together into a full-fledged system as quickly as possible.

According to the air defense historian, such an approach would significantly improve the protection of Russian territory. He said the main task is to raise the level of automation, especially for systems such as Pantsir, Tor and smaller complexes designed to destroy fixed-wing UAVs, and link them into a single automated network.

He explained that once data from radar stations is fed into a specialized computer, artificial intelligence could distribute targets, predict their appearance and assign specific weapons to engage them. Knutov recalled that a similar principle was used in the Soviet Union, though at that time the system was analog rather than digital and was intended only to defend against enemy aircraft.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said AI technologies are being actively introduced into Russia’s air defense system. According to him, the process is expected to be completed by November.